Forum to boost growth of energy projects

South Africa has been seeking foreign investment to help drive sluggish economic growth and used the World Economic Forum 2017 platform last week to market the country as a favourable investment destination. Energy demands in sub-Saharan Africa have created investment interest in the Independent Power Producer (IPP) regional market in recent years as the demand for energy in the region increased. However, South Africa has halted its lauded renewable energy power producer’s programme, sparking fears over the growth of the regional IPP market.

In a bid to boost momentum in the regional IPP market and to continue the growth trajectory of recent years, the Africa Energy Indaba is launching a specialised workshop event – Africa Utility Forum – bringing together African utilities to meet private sector project developers and investors.

The one-day Africa Utility Forum brings Africa’s energy sector together in February 2017 to unlock energy projects and opportunities. Collaboration between neighbouring countries and between public and private sector players can greatly increase the growth of regional power markets and reduce the overall costs, which will make power accessible for African consumers.

Successes such as the Renewable Energy IPP Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) in South Africa and the current privatisation process in Nigeria demonstrate that there can be power sector solutions when the public and private sectors work together to open up the market to various solutions.

The forum will provide IPPs, investors and key role players with the opportunity to meet role players and decision makers in the African utility space and find out about actual energy projects, current developments and priority projects in the regional power market. This one-day workshop is an opportunity for IPPs and utilities in Africa to work together on specific, high-priority energy projects for the development of the continent’s power sector.